Shoe.



G. L. muss.

SE03. APPLICATION FILED ATG, 31. 1912.

Patented Feb. 18.. 1913.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

%v m WY yd ti r'r'n STATES GEORGE L. ROUSE, OI CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

Application filed August 31, 1912. Serial ll'o. 718,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. Roosn, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

My invention belongs to that class of shoes provided with a wooden solerendered flexible or yielding so that it will bend at a. given point orpoints, thus enabling the wearer to'walk, run or stoop the same as ifthe ordinary leather shoe were used by him. The joint I employ torender-the sole flexihis is extremely simple and unique, will not getout of order and will retain amaximum etliciency in the wear and tear towhich shoes of this class are subjected. Itis waterproofed, thusrendering it doubly serviceable in repelling wateinand dampness,insuring warmth and comfort to the wearer. Shoes of this character areto be worn by persons exposed to cold and dampness. My shoe keeps thefeet dry and warm. Many attempts have been made to produce a shoe ofthis character but all such attempts have proven futile.

sections or of any number desired. heel and arch part or section isformed of .the heel (3) and arch (l), )referably made integral. Theforward or toe section is.

In, the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification: Figure1---is a view in elevation of my new shoe; Fig. 2 is a view of the shoewith the upper removed, also showing metal caps attached to thesections.

The upper is marked (1), and it may be made of leather, canvas, cloth orany suitable material. 011 this upper (1) I sew or otherwise connect athin sole (2) made of leather or other suitable material. I preferablywaterproof this sole (2). The wood sole in the present instance is madeof three parts or sections, but it may be made of two The marked (5). Attheir inner ends the arch part (4) and section (5) are inclined orbeveled as shown at- 6, 6, and the section (5.) is rounded at itsforward end. Between the arch part (4) and toe section '(5), that is, inthe space between them, I provide a section (7) having inclinedor'beveled ends (8). These various parts and sections 3, 4, 5 and 7 areplaced in the position shown and then pegged or otherwise connected tothe sole (2). The pegs are marked I may also if desired place pegs (10)across the sole where the parts of the sole meet, as shown It will benoticed that at the top where thesections join the sole (2),-'they meetat their edges, but from that point to thebottom of the sole, theydiverge, so that an invcrted V shaped space (12) is left at each end ofthe section (7), that is, between said section and the forward and rearparts or sections 4 and 5. These sections may be of any size, shape orcontour and of any length or thickness; and they may be placed andconnectedtogether so that the joints forming the spaces (12) will comeat any point in the length of the sole; the section (7) howeverpreferably being present near the ball of the foot.

It will be understood that if I use only two sections or more than threesections, I will form a less or greater number of spaces (12) betweenthe sections and these spaces 12 may. be of any-size, length, width orcontour, their shape depending on the contour of the sections. v

In order to secure better wear and protect the wood sole sect-ions, Iface the bottom and" sides 'of said sections at certain points with capsor bands made of metal or suitable material. On the toe section (.5) Iplace the cap (14), on the section (7), I place the cap (15) and on thearch part (4) I place the cap (16), and on the heel I place the cap(17). These caps are connected to the wood sections in any suitablemanner, in the present inst rfc'efbytangs 18.

The woo sole sections are preferably w h terproofetl and may be made offiber, leatheroid, pulp or'any material" suitable for the purpose. Itwill be apparent that this shoe, that 'is,"the joint, which'renders itflexible, is self cleaning. When the wearer is putting his foot downsquarely, the spaces 12 'may 'fill with mud, dirt, refuse or the like,(depending upon where he is walking) and when he bends his foot, andconsequently the joint, the spaces 12 will be spread and enlarged inextent, and the mud, dirt, or the like, will consequently drop out; orif it should be sticky or clay or material of that sort and remain illthe shoe, it will not inwterfere with the proper working of the jointandif it should dry inthe spaces 12, will (as soon as dry) fall out of itsown accord. While 'I have described one specific method of forming thisnew shoe, it is, of

course, capable of considerable moditit 'fltion, I and I wish to beunderstood as not limiting myself to one specific construction, but mayvary the same and still remain within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by lettersPatent is 1. In a shoe of the character described, an upper, a flexibleouter sole attached thereto a sole made of comparatively nonyieldingmaterial attached to said flexible sole. said sole formed ofsectionscapable otsupporting the heel and arch and the. ball and thetoes of the foot, the contiguous ends of the sections having inclinedfaces forming with respect to the bOttUll'] of the seetional sole,inverted V-shaped spaeez the-seetions IHQUting' at the top where theyjoin the flexible sole and said spaces passing entirelythrough saidsectional sole.

tions having inclined respeet to the bottom of the sectional sole,ltlYtllttl V-shaped spaces, the sections meetdescribed, an attachedthereto,

a sole made of eonlpzuatively non-yielding material attached to saidflexible sole, said sole formed of three sections, one sectionconsisting of a heel and arch for supporting the heel and ar( h of thefoot, another section "for supporting the toes, and a section betweenthem for supportin; the ball of the foot. the eontiguous ends of theseveral sec faces, t'm'ming with inn at the top where they join theflexible sole. and said spaces [)HSSIIJQ entirely through I theeomparatively non-yielding sole.

GEORGE L, ROUSF. Witnesses:

J. M. Cloud, T. M. 7001).

